Adjustable knuckle-joint for automobiles



F. GIESEKE. ADJUSTABLE KNUCKLE JOlNT FOR AUTOMOBLES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.21, 1917. RENEWED nus. 1a. 1921.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

,4 TTORNEY UNITED STATES FREDERICK GIESEKE, OF IRVINGTON.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 JULIUS GLOR, OF IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

ADJUSTABLE KNUCKLE-JOINT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed December 21, 1917, Serial No. 208.226. Renewed August 18, 1921.

To aZZ whom it may conc rn:

Be it known that I. FREDERICK Ginsnkn, a Subject of the Emperor of Germany. residing in the town of lrvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and use'l ul Improvements in Adjustable Knuckle-Joints for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked there on. which form a part of this specification. My invention relates to improvements in adjustable knuckle joints for automobiles. The ordinary steering knuckle bolt which connects the axle spindle to the end of the front axle of the automobile soon acquires a considerable amount of lostmotion due to the wear thereof and to the movable parts engaged in the same. A loose knuckle bolt )1" joint, is objectionable because of the rat- :ling noise it causes when the automobile is n use and also on account of the lost motion vhich it causes between the steering gear 1nd the knuckle bolt, which results that the :teering gear fails to respond promptly to he control of the driver. The obje t of my nvention is to construct a steering knuckle vhich may quickly be adjusted to positively ake up any wear between the same and the )arts in engagement therewith, thereby voiding the objections above referred to, nd which consists in providing the end of he front axle of an automobile with an upwardly extending arm terminating preterbly in an integral semi-spherical socketor caring and an adjustable bracket also proided with a semi-spherical socket or bearig, and interposing between said bearings knuckle provided with semi-spherical bearig ends engaging the said semi-spherical earings and uniting the parts together by leans of a spindle whereby the same may a locked in adjusted position.

With the foregoing and other objects in ew, which shall appear as the description ."oceeds, the invention resides in the comvnation and arrangement of parts and in re details of construction hereinafter deribed in the claim, it being understood .at changes in the precise embodiment of vention herein disclosed can be made witb- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Serial No. 493,437.

in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

eferring to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which I have illustrated one preferable embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 represents the invention in side elevation.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section, and

Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the adjustable bracket. Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings. H

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the end of the front axle oi" an automobile provided with an upwardly extending arm 2 terminatin in a semi-spherical socket or bearing 3. ecured to the lower portion of the axle 1, by means of a bolt 4 and nut 5. is an adjustable bracket 6 also provided with a semi-spherical socket or hearing 7, corresponding with the semi-spherical so ket or bearing 3. The movable axle end 8 is provided with a knuckle 9, the extremities of said knuckle being provided with semispherical ends 10-10 designed to be received into, and operate. in, the semi-spherical sockets or bearings 3 and 7. The semispherical sockets or bearings 3 and 7 are provided with apertures 11 in alinementwith the bore 12 of the knuckle 9 to receive the spindle 13 which is extended through the bearing 3 and the bearing 7 in the bracket 6, the spindle 13 being reduced and threaded at its lower end to receive the nut 14. bearing against the under side of the adjustable bracket 6.

To the upper end of the spindle an oil chamber may be secured, (not shown) cornmunicating with the bore 12.

in assembling the device it only becomes necessary to insert the upper semi-spherical end 10 of the knuckle 9 into the bearing 3 and then adjust the bracket 6 until the opposite semi-spherical end 10 of the knuckle 9 is in engagement with the bearing 7 and then passing the spindle 13 through the bearings and knuckle whereby the same may be locked in adjusted position by means of the nut 14. Should the knuckle at any time fail to respond promptly to the control of the driver on account of any lost motion between the parts, it will only be necessary to tighten up on the nut 14 to again lock the parts in adjusted position. It will thus be parts to three, namely;

seen that I have provided an adjustable knuckle joint for automobiles and the like, and reduced the actual number of essential A an axle end, an adjustable bracket provided with bearings, and a knuckle to be interposed between said bearings; that when assembled, the possibility of the partsbecoming separated has been reduced to 'a minimum.

Experience has demonstrated that the crganization above described is a practical and efficient one for accomplishing the ends sought by this invention. The construction may, howeveiybe varied in detail by those skilled in such matters, without departing from the invention.

I desire to claim the device as broadly as the state of the art will permit, and with no limitations other than such as may be expressed in the claim as it may be allowed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim 1s e In a device of the class described, an axle end provided with an upwardly extend- 1,39e,a24 I ing arm terminating in an outwardly extending and apertured semi-spherical socket or bearing, an adjustable bracket provided with an outwardly extending and apertured semi-spherical socket or bearing pivotally secured to the lower portion of said axle, and a bolt engaged with the lower end of said axle and adjustable bearing whereby the same may be locked in adjusted position, a movable axle spindle provided with an elongated apertured knuckle, the ends 0t said knuckle being semi-spherical and designed to be received into, and operate in,

the said semi-spherical sockets or bearings. and a spindle engaged Wltlltlle apertured bearings and the knucklewhereby the same may be locked in adjusted position.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day of December, 1917.

FREDERICK GIESEKE.

Witnesses:

FREDK C. FIsoHnR, JULiUs GLoR. 

